India's Zika outbreak gathers pace as virus spreads from west to the south

An Aedes aegypti mosquito known to carry the Zika virus
Zika is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito Credit: AP

The Zika virus has spread from the western state of Rajasthan to other parts of India as doctors struggle to contain the outbreak that has affected more than 100 victims in the country.

While most of the cases of Zika virus have been found in the city of Jaipur, in Rajasthan, scientists have found strains of the virus from other parts of India as well – such as Gujarat in the west and Tamil Nadu in the south. It is thought the number of those affected is between 105 and 124.

Scientists have also said there may be a link between Zika and Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS), after patients exhibiting GBS in south India were found to have evidence of antibodies against Zika.

The research published in the Neurology India journal, said Zika may be circulating in the area and be a factor in GBS cases. GBS is a rare disorder in which your body's immune system can attack your nerves, limpness and a tingling sensation in extremities are usually the first symptoms.

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, studied 90 patients to find Zika antibodies were present in 14 patients.

Four patients were also found to have dengue fever antibodies. There may be a possibility that the patients got infected from the virus and it contributed to the GBS disease, the study suggested.

“Zika Virus may be present in several areas of the country, but currently we have diagnosed only some cases from Gujarat and Rajasthan. During our research, we found antibodies for Zika virus in GBS patients”, Deepak Amalnath, one of the authors of the study, told reporters on Thursday.

“The virus may be circulating along with the dengue virus also, however, we did not look for circulation of dengue and Zika”.

The ICMR has also initiated laboratory testing for microcephaly cases detected in the newborn birth screening programme, which is currently operational across 55 medical colleges in India. Microcephaly can cause birth defects, especially on the size of infants’ heads – sometimes leading to brain damage.

“Wide research has proved that Zika virus causes microcephaly and GBS. It is very likely that the disease is present in many other parts of the country other than Rajasthan and Gujarat,” said AC Dhariwal, of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

“The Zika virus may be present in India, but it is not showing up due to varied reasons. The reason may be the antibodies for dengue are neutralizing the Zika virus. We have to be very careful in surveillance,” he added.

Meanwhile, an Indian scientist claims to have made a crucial breakthrough in the search for a cure to the Zika virus.

Dr Rajanish Giri at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, has used the branch of computational research and biophysical studies, and is seeking to unravel the structure and action of the virus, according to the news magazine The Week.

He is assisted by Vladimir Uversky from the University of South Florida and research scholar Pushpendra Mani Mishra.

While conducting research, they made the find in identifying crucial regions within the protein molecule of the virus. Their work has recently been published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.

“The research is fundamental in nature and very important in terms of understanding, exploring and unravelling the complex mechanism of viral pathogenesis,” Dr Giri said.

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